Latte macchiato

Latte Macchiato (Italian pronunciation: [?latte mak?kja?to]) is a coffee beverage, which literally means stained milk. This refers to the method of preparation, wherein the milk gets "stained" by the addition of espresso.
[edit]Related drinks
It differs significantly from caffe latte firstly in that espresso is added to milk (rather than milk to espresso), secondly that it features more foam, rather than simply hot milk, thirdly in that often only ? (or less) of an espresso shot is used, and fourthly in that it is often a "layered" drink, rather than being mixed as in a caffe latte.
Simply, in a caffe latte, the emphasis is on the coffee, while in a latte macchiato, the emphasis is on the milk.
The macchia is the little "spot" of crema left on top of the milk to clearly distinguish that is a latte macchiato and not a caffe latte, where the espresso traditionally has been added before the milk, hence having no "mark". Conversely, caffe macchiato, another similarly named beverage, is actually espresso "stained" with a small amount of milk.
[edit]Preparation
A latte macchiato may be prepared simply by frothing milk, generally producing generous foam, pouring it (generally into a glass), and adding espresso. The frothing is generally extensive, yielding significant light, "dry" foam, with a layer of liquid milk underneath, rather than the "wet" microfoam use

in latte art.
Alternatively, it may be prepared as a layered drink, with the espresso gently poured (most gently out of a small espresso brew pitcher, over the back of a spoon) so that it forms a layer between the denser liquid milk below and the lighter foam above. In this case a glass is essential for the layers to be visible.
The espresso may be brewed into a standard espresso cup or shot glass and then swiftly dumped in, or may be brewed into a specialized espresso brew pitcher, which makes pouring easier, particularly for layering.
A layered (or "stacked") drink, sometimes called a pousse-cafe, is a kind of cocktail in which the slightly different densities of various liqueurs are used to create an array of colored layers, typically three to seven. The specific gravity of the liquid ingredients increases from top to bottom. Liqueurs with the most dissolved sugar and the least alcohol are densest and are put at the bottom. These include fruit juices and cream liqueurs. Those with the least water and the most alcohol, such as rum with 75% alcohol by volume, are floated on top.
These drinks are made primarily for visual enjoyment rather than taste. They are sipped, sometimes through a silver straw, one liqueur at a time. The drink must be made and handled carefully to avoid mixing; however, some layered drinks, such as shooters, are generally drunk quickly.